


Breath of the Wild: Songs of Solace - Before the Storm

by Katythewriter (Maybeanartist02)



Series: Songs of Solace [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Major Original Character(s), Memory Loss, Orphan - Freeform, PTSD, Sexual History, mature for topics + language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-11-18 10:05:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18118601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maybeanartist02/pseuds/Katythewriter
Summary: When Arryn is painting the temple of time, she never expects the hero of legend to creep up on her.





	1. Plateau Battles

**Author's Note:**

> and so it begins

_**Arryn** _

When I first arrived on the Plateau a year ago, I never expected it to lead me to the Hero himself. But, to be fair, I had no idea who it was I was speaking to in the beginning.

 

I was in the ruins of the temple of time, sitting in front of the Goddess’ statue, sketching out what it may have looked like 100 years ago when I sensed the presence of another person. I turned my torso to the entrance to find a boy standing in the frame of the doorway. He had shoulder-long, messy blonde hair, striking blue eyes, fair skin, and wore beige clothes that were torn and battered.

 

“Oh,” he gasped, “I…did not know there was anyone else here.” I smirked lightly, “strange. Neither did I. I always thought it was just gramps and me.” the boy blinked owlishly, then scratched the back of his head, “heh. Sorry for intruding,” he approached me, hand held out, “I’m Link.” I skeptically studied his hand, then rose my brow as my eyes gazed upon his face. With a sigh, I took his hand, “Arryn. Welcome to the Plateau.”

 

Link smiled, then let his sights roam around the temple. He looked tired as if he’d been running an awful lot. “Who’s she?” he asked, gesturing to the goddess’ statue. “Goddess Hylia,” I replied, idly resuming to draw, “she created Hyrule and the Hylians. According to the legends, the royal bloodline carries her godly blood, and the women all can perform her sealing magic.” Link hummed, and I focused on my drawing.

 

“Is that…the temple?” he asked, and I involuntarily flinched. “Y-yeah,” I stuttered, “well, what it probably looked like 100 years ago, anyway.” Link hummed, and when I looked up, he was standing right in front of me, leaning forward to see my artwork. Heat rose into my cheeks due to the intensity of his eyes. “Oh, right,” he said, suddenly, “Remus said you collected weapons and were a good fighter.” I frowned, and quirked a brow, “yeah…? Why?” Link lit up, “well, I was wondering if you could lend me a weapon. I’m heading for a ruin amidst some Bokoblins, and I don’t feel like trying to outrun them anymore….”

 

I studied his body language. He had a spark in his eyes, full of determination and curiosity, but he seemed nervous. I huffed, smiling. “Sure, under one condition,” I agreed, gathering my things and standing up, “I get to accompany you.” Link blinked in surprise. He was about to say something but I cut him off, “look, blondie, I’m itching for an adventure, and that sounds like a high chance of adventure.” Link sighed, then nodded, “fine. You can come.”

 

I giggled, “great! Let’s head to my cabin first, I have all my weapons there.” Judging by his gaze, he probably thought I had an entire army’s worth of weaponry, but he couldn’t be farther from the truth.

 

As we walked to the corner of the Plateau that Remus and I called home, I often times stopped to pick up materials or fend off Bokoblins. Between these instances, I asked Link: “so, where are you from?” Link blinked. “I…don't remember.” I leveled him with a deadpan glare, “really?” “you don’t seem convinced,” I whipped my head away, “I’m not.” “I’m serious! I just-just woke up in a waterbed yesterday! I don’t remember anything!” I glanced at him and saw sincerity in his eyes. I turned around fully, scanning him with my gaze, finally slumping with a sigh, “fine. You seem honest.” Link sighed, relieved. My mind reeled.

 

Was this really…him?

 

When we arrived at the cliff where Remus’ and my Cabins were, Link noticed the small array of weapons lined on one of the houses’ outer walls. “That’s mine,” I said, leading the way, “I’m going to go put this stuff away, take whatever suits your fancy.” I went inside and stowed my sketchbook away on the bookshelf over my desk, beside my other books; my self-made cookbook, a book of elixirs, and my journal. The latter of the lot was actually filled with notes and reminders, and only a small portion of it everyday happenings.

 

I nodded, then grabbed my golden shield from the foot of my bed, and fasted my Gerudo Scimitar to my belt, my bow on my back, and filled my quiver with arrows. When I walked outside again, Link was testing out a traveler’s sword, with the fitting shield on his arm and bow on his back. I smiled and placed my hands on my cocked hip.

 

“Looks like you found a fit, huh?”

 

_**Link** _

Arryn didn’t have many weapons, not as many as I thought, anyway. She had complete sets, however. She owned a traveler’s sword, shield and bow, an axe, and varying degrees of random clubs and bows, probably picked off Bokoblins.

 

I settled on the traveler’s set and tested the sword by swinging it around. It felt like second nature, and even Arryn seemed impressed when she spotted me. “Looks like you found a fit, huh?” she joked, hands on her cocked hips. I smirked, “yeah, it’s perfect.”

 

Arryn hummed, then began to trek north, “let’s get a move on, then!” she announced. From walking behind her I could see she had an array of weapons, tucked safely under her long, curly red hair. On the back part of her belt, she had a Gerudo Scimitar, which was most useful for swift combat styles, and a quiver filled with arrows. On her back rested her trusty golden Gerudo shield, as well as a Rito Swallow Bow.  Her belt seemed to be made by Gorons, how I knew what characterized this, or how I knew that it did, I didn’t know. I also noticed how her silver-blue earrings had to be made by Zora, though again I didn’t know why.

 

Eventually, we reached an open field, where many bokoblins had gathered. Arryn kneeled behind a stone, and I followed suit. “What’s the plan?” I asked, to which I simply received a mischievous smirk, “attack, obviously.” I blinked owlishly, then grinned what I assumed seemed pretty devilish. Then—we pounced our prey.

 

We slashed through the red creatures, and it felt like second nature, almost as if it was ingrained into my bones to do this. Arryn seemed ecstatic to have a partner, and would often yell across the field, telling me to block with my shield, followed by her casting an explosive fire spell. Yeah, Arryn was a mage. A damn powerful one at that.

 

After a short amount of time, we reached the ruins. The ruins consisted of a weird stick sticking out of a hill that had partially buried the platform on which a pedestal for my slate stood. As we approached, Arryn let her scarred fingers run over the carvings of the pedestal. “Amazing,” she sighed, “the intricate designs…mysterious.” I felt like she was speaking more to herself than me, but nonetheless, I agreed: “it’s truly amazing.”

 

Arryn hummed as I moved to slot the slate into the carved area on the pedestal. Once it clicked into place, a robotic voice warned: “Sheikah Tower Activated. Please be careful of falling rocks.” At the moment that followed, I wasn’t sure if it was instinct, or the blossom of friendship that caused me to shout her name, “Arryn!” as we crashed to the floor with the shaking of the tower.

 

The tower rose into the sky, rumbling. When it finally calmed down, Arryn and I slowly got up. “Arryn!” I exclaimed, “are you okay? Are you hurt--?” I rushed to her side to check for injuries, but she simply placed her hand on my cheek and shoved my face to gaze out on the land. All around Hyrule, similar beacons had risen. Then, from behind us, the robotic voice announced: “Distilling Local Information,” as a droplet of information dripped onto the tablet, “regional map extracted.”

 

Arryn and I slowly approached the tablet, gazing upon the map. “Woah…” she sighed. From the north, we heard a rumbling and turned to the castle—from which it came. Then, I heard the voice once more like a blinding light and a purple smoke engulfed the palace, “Link. Try to remember. You’ve been asleep for 100 years. When the beast regains his full power, the world will face its end. Now then, you must hurry, Link. Before it’s too late.”

 

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Arryn whispered something I couldn’t understand, then looked at me with wide eyes. “What?” I asked. Arryn blinked rapidly, apparently coming to her senses, and asked instead, “that voice, who was that?” I frowned, shrugging, “I don’t know. I recognize it, but I can’t place her name…” Arryn studied me, then nodded with a smile. “That’s fine. Let’s go talk to Remus. We need to get off the Plateau, but you can’t without a Paraglider. He should have one. Maybe we can trade him…or something.”

 

I nodded and followed as she descended the Tower. She was silent the entire climb down, undoubtedly hundreds of thoughts circling her mind and causing her to be silent in her confusion. As we finally set foot on the grass, the wind picked up, and the familiar form of Remus descended in front of us—with the help of his Paraglider.

 

Arryn’s enthusiasm sparked to life as he did, and she charged forward: “Remus! Did you see that? Link’s slate activated the tower!” Remus laughed heartily, “oh-ho-ho! Yes, I did, Arryn. Quite mysterious how that works, isn’t it. It seems others just like it have emerged all over Hyrule. Perhaps some ancient magicks are behind it?” Arryn hummed, “I think these are the towers built by ancient Sheikah scientists, meant to map out Hyrule.” Remus nodded, “if you don’t mind me asking….did anything happen while you were up there?”

 

Arryn and I shared a look, then I answered, “yes. We heard a woman’s voice.” Remus huffed, “well now, a voice you say? Did you recognize her?” sadly, I sunk my head, “No. Unfortunately.” Remus sighed, “I see. That is rather unfortunate.”

 

Remus turned to point towards the castle, “I suppose you caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle. That is Calamity Ganon. 100 years ago he caused the fall of the mighty kingdom known as Hyrule. It appeared suddenly, destroying everything in its path. Thousands of lives were lost. For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule Castle, has contained the evil. However, it’s power is running out. There it festers, building its strength to unleash it’s a blight on the land once more. It would appear that moment is approaching.”

 

Arryn clenched her fists, “that’s right. Link and I are going to stop it, but we need your Paraglider!” at the moment, I didn’t register her words fully, and by the time they had, we were already in the first Shrine, standing in front of the rune distilling pedestal.

 

“Wait—” I said, causing her to glance at me, “who said you’re coming with me to face Ganon?” Arryn glared at me, then smirked, “for your information, I did say I was.” I clicked my tongue, “I thought you meant to the tower!” “That too.” “Arryn—” “Look,” she scowled, “I’m itching for adventure, and if I can help save my home while I’m at it—well, that’s just an added bonus.” I frowned, “and what makes you think I’ll let you risk your life?” Arryn took the finished tablet and invaded my personal space, shoving it into my chest and challenged:

 

“Who’s going to stop me?”


	2. Proven Courage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shrines, Arryn and Link.

_**Arryn** _

As it turned out, Remus wanted us to complete all four Shrines before giving us the paraglider. I could tell why, too. Link’s memories had been lost, and he had no idea who he was or what role he played in the fate of Hyrule. It would be a bad idea to thrust him into it in his freshly-recovered conscience. So, Remus would have us venture to the corners of the Plateau, and learn from the Shrines.

 

However, it was already twilight, and thus it would be risky to stay outside as monsters respawned. “Let’s head back to the cabins,” I said, “it’s not safe to stay outside during the night.” Link nodded, following as I led the way. “Why are you so hell bent on saving Hyrule?” I glanced back at him, smiled, then turned around and started to walk backwards, “I live here, and all my…friends…do too. If the calamity comes back, they’ll all die. I can’t let that happen.” Link nodded, “what about you, Link?”

 

Link blinked in confusion, then gazed at his feet, “it feels as though I have to.” “Like…your duty?” “…yeah.” I stopped, which caused him to stop and look at me, brow raised. “Link. What would you do if this wasn’t…well, happening?” Link shrugged, “dunno. Probably travel Hyrule,” he grinned, “it looks beautiful from where I’m standing!” I studied him carefully, then laughed.

 

I slung an arm around his shoulders and pulled him along, “right you are, _hero_.”

 

 

Soon we were back at our cabin-cluster, where Remus was already cooking some soup for us. “Mmm~” Link hummed, jogging ahead, “that smells delicious!” Remus chuckled, “hohoho, glad you think so, young man! Say, can you cook?” Link frowned, thinking as I sat down on a nearby log, “no, I don’t think so,” he said finally. Remus hummed, “hmm…Arryn, you’re writing a cook book, are you not? Why not teach him?” I hummed, head resting in my hands rising a few centimetres above it to meet Link’s hopeful smile. I just couldn’t say no to that face.

 

“Sure,” I agreed, taking a bowl of soup, “I can show you how to make lunch after we conquer the shrine tomorrow.” This delighted him, and he cheered, “Yea-h! you won’t regret it, I promise!” I laughed, “we’ll see about that, pretty boy.”

 

 

 

_**Link** _

The next morning we had breakfast at the crack of dawn. Remus and Arryn were up way before me, and by the time I had finally woken up Remus was chopping wood in the distance, and Arryn was doodling by the firepit, in which a stack of pancakes were being kept warm. When she noticed me emerge, she leant against the log and rolled her head back far enough to see me. “Good morning, sleepy head,” she righted herself as I sat down on the log she was leaning against, and she handed me a plate of pancakes while teasing: “you’d think after 100 years you’ve had had enough sleep for an entire lifetime.”

 

I rolled my eyes, “ha-ha-ha. Very funny.” She grinned, “I thought it was!” I dug into my food, and Arryn hummed. “So, I was thinking,” she hummed, making me tease her for once, “wow, dangerous. Don’t hurt yourself.” She grunted, playfully punching my leg, “As I was saying—” she drawled, “—I was thinking where to start with the shrines. There’s one on mount Hylia, to get there we’ll need food with heating properties. Cooking spicy peppers should do the trick. There’s also one on the other side of the cliff,” she pointed to near where Remus was chopping wood, “there’s some monsters on the other side, so we need to be careful. There’s one in eastern abbey, we’ll need to be sneaky due to the nearby guardian.”

 

I frowned, “guardian?” “ancient beasts created by the Sheikah, designed to protect the royal family. They turned on Hyrule when Ganon took over—along with the divine beasts.” I nodded, but I was lost. “I say we start with Eastern Abbey, then.” Arryn nodded. “if we hurry, we might be able to do two of them today.” I nodded, and quickly finished my meal.

 

Soon after, we were off.

 

 

Instead of heading straight through the abbey, Arryn led me around it, climbing over the walls and balancing on top of the ruins instead of charging head first into the fire. That’s when I noticed she was way more strategically capable than I gave her credit for.

 

“You know, you’re better at this than I thought,” I said as we descended into the shrine. She smirked, rolling her eyes, “gee, thanks a lot. You’re not as useless as I thought.” “Oi!”

 

We breezed through the shrine with ease, barely stopping. By the time lunch time rolled around, we’d finished the shrine. We headed back, the way we came, and I remembered she’d promised to teach me how to cook the spicy peppers.

 

“Are you going to show me how to cook the spicy peppers now?” I asked. Arryn’s brows raised, then she giggled, “sure. We can head to that shrine right after, then.” I nodded, and asked: “do you have spicy peppers or do we need to get them, first?” Arryn hummed, “I think I have two, so we’ll need more. There a Bokoblin camp near the shrine of resurrection. They’re hording the only other spicy peppers I could find. Can you go fetch them for me?”

 

I nodded, and saluted her, “right away, lady Arryn!”

 

 

_**Arryn** _

We parted ways, and I went ahead to light the fire. I also gathered some herbs and spices to increase the food’s effects. By the time I’d prepared everything, Link was trudging back. “You underestimated their strength,” I observed, watching him collapse on the log and weakly hand me the peppers. “Yeah,” he sighed, “you undermined their strength!” I laughed, glancing back at him over my shoulder, “well! sucks to be you, hero!”

 

Link sighed, and sat down beside me. “Are you going to cook, or what?” “Patience, pretty boy~” I hummed, then got straight to work.

 

 

Thanks to the meal we’d made, we were able to go to the shrine, complete it, and fast travel back to the Plateau Tower. From there, we headed back to the cabins with the sun setting behind the horizon. As we traversed the field between the temple and cabins, Link asked me something:

 

“Where are you from?”

 

It took me a bit off guard, but I smiled sadly and replied: “Gerudo Town.” “Is that all the info I’m getting?” “depends, what do you want to know? Do I want to answer?” “if you don’t want to answer, can I exchange it for a different question?” “Sure. No promises, though.” “why can you fight so good? Who taught you?” I hummed, “mmm…Gerudo town is home of the gerudo, a race of only women who are profound warriors.” “Do your parents miss you?” I froze, then swallowed my scowl and hummed, “Hmm…no. skip that.” “okay. What’s your favorite place in Hyrule?” I whistled, “wasn’t expecting that,” Link chuckled, obviously proud of himself, “Hmm…let’s see….i like Lurelin Village. It’s peaceful…pretty. There’s lots of lizalfos on the beach, though.” Link hummed, “is it by the beach?” “Yeah. It’s a port town near the rumored love lake.” “love lake?” “according to the myth, if you go there you’ll meet your true love.”

 

Link hummed, nodding, but said nothing else.


	3. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus reveals some truths, Link has a nightmare.

**_Link_ **

I wanted to learn as much as I could about Arryn, but she held me at arms length. Throughout dinner I asked questions like ‘what’s your favorite weapon’, ‘favorite animal’, etc., while sprinkling a few deeper ones in: “who trained you? Why did you leave your home?” but she’d never budge. While I didn’t push it, I could tell she could tell what I was trying to do and became fed up with it.

 

She sighed, irritated, and stood up. “I’m going to bed,” she announced, before stomping off.

 

I turned to Remus, sipping soup idly, and asked: “did I go too far?” Remus huffed, “no. you didn’t push her, you were simply insistent.” He chuckled, “hohoho, she can dish out, but not take it.” I frowned, and Remus put his hand on my shoulder comfortingly, “do not worry, young man, by tomorrow, she’ll have forgotten all about it.”

 

At the time, I’d found it hard to believe, but the old man was right. As a matter of fact, when I woke up from a nightmare I couldn’t recall in the middle of the night, I heard soft singing from outside. Following the sound, I was able to catch Arryn by the unlit fire, playing a song. I slowly opened the door, but it creaked loudly, announcing to her that I was awake.

 

She stopped abruptly. “how long have you been there?” she asked, without turning around. “not very long,” I replied, “what song was that?” I slowly approached, sitting down on the log, next to her. “I don’t’ know. I…just know it. I assume my parents used to play it a lot…” I nodded, assessing the information, “it’s very pretty.” Arryn smiled, somewhat nostalgically, “yeah,” she agreed, “it is.”

 

When I looked at her profile, her eyes were alight with—for the first time—something aside from mischief: happiness. Pride.

 

“you’re glowing,” I said, and the light faded, “you’re very passionate about self-expression, aren’t you?” Arryn bit her lip, “I guess. A friend of mine was very musically talented, but never got to pursue that talent. I guess…I’m letting her live vicariously through me.” she grinned at she looked at me, and it was the first time she’d spoke of her former friends. Or anything of her former life, really.

 

 

“do you enjoy it?” I asked. She blinked owlishly, then smiled, “Yes,” she said, nodding, “it’s the perfect light in the darkness that is our post-apocalyptic kingdom.” I smiled, silently agreeing with her.

 

“Well,” she said, after a few moments of sitting in comfortable silence, “we should get some sleep. We do want to conquer a shrine tomorrow.” I hummed, nodding, and got up. I followed her into her  cabin, and laid down on the makeshift bed of hay. As we lay in the darkness, my eyes adjusted to the light and I could make out the lining of her body.

 

“Link?” she breathed, suddenly. “Yeah?” “…good night.” I smiled, huffing, “good night, Arryn.”

 

 

The following morning we barely took the time to get changed, eat breakfast and back our bags before heading to the last shrine. This was where shit got real—first we chopped down a tree and balanced on it to the other side, then immediately had to assume a fighting stance due to the group of bokoblins camping there.

 

It was thrilling, fighting with Arryn. While I had some solid skills due to muscle memory, I still needed to get used to fighting again. Arryn, on the other hand, was a skilled and seasoned warrior. Her moves were fluid, and fast. They were focused on hitting as often as possible, meanwhile mine were focused on heavy blows. Together, we annihilated the monsters within a few minutes.

 

She stood straight, wiped the sweat off her brow and said: “not bad, pretty boy, not bad.” I laughed, a little out of breath, “you weren’t half bad yourself, red.” She smirked, then glanced up the cliff in front of us. I approached it and looked around the area we were standing. Nearby there was a small hill adjorned to the cliff. “let’s climb from there,” I said, “it’ll be a little shorter.” Arryn hummed, nodding, “solid plan, hero.”

 

We climbed up the cliff, stopping on ledges every so often and picking iron shrooms off the stone. Eventually, we made it to the top and were able to enter the shrine. I activated it, then stepped aside and bowed, “after you, lady Arryn.” Arryn snorted, then walked inside with as much poise as she could muster, “why, thank you, sir Hero.”

 

Then, we faced our fate within the shrine.

 

 

We finished the shrine as quickly as we did the others, but this time Remus was waiting outside for us.

 

“With this,” he said, “you’ve collected all spirit orbs on the Plateau,” he laughed, “extraordinary!” he hummed, suddenly very solemn. “That means…it is finally time.” “Time?” Arryn echoed, “time for what?” “Time I told you children everything. But first. Imagine an x on your map, the corners of which are where the shrines are. Meet me where they cross.” He gestured to the entirety of the Plateau, causing us to glance at each other, confused.

 

“I shall wait for you there. Do you understand?” he began to glow, causing us to stumble back a step, “where the lines cross…I will…be…waiting.” In a faint glow, he dissolved into thin air. Confused, I turned to Arryn, “is…is he a mage?” Arryn was wide-eyed, staring at the spot where he’d been standing, “I…don’t know.” She frowned, then met my gaze, “let’s take a look at the map.”

 

I whipped out the tablet and we connected the four shrines’ sky lines with one-another. What we realized, was that the temple of time was at the center of it all. “Of course,” she sighed, “come on, “ she announced, “let’s get moving.”

 

Promptly, we descended the mountain, and made a beeline for the temple of time. Entering the main room, we saw the goddess statue glowing, seeming to call out for me. “Well?” Arryn shrugged, “are we going to check it out?” I gaped briefly, then nodded, and approached.

 

As soon as I stepped closer, a heavenly voice spoke into the air: “You who have conquered the shrines and claimed their spirit orbs, I can offer you great power. You must chose, heart or stamina.” I glanced to Arryn, who urged me: “Heart.” “Heart,” I repeated, and the goddess’ voice hummed: “very well.”

 

Promptly, a heart-shaped container descended from the sky, and I absorbed it. It felt familiar, yet foreign all at once. The goddess wished us good luck, and Arryn scanned the room, “he’s not here,” she declared, then eyed the ceiling. “wanna check the attic?” I asked. Arryn hummed, nodding, “yes. Let’s go.”

 

We walked outside and scaled the temple walls, Arryn leagues faster than me, and more elegant. We landed on the remainder of a window sill. Arryn dropped steadily onto the stone, but I slipped. With a yell, I fell back—

 

But not for long; before I could fall far, Arryn hooked her arm around a pillar, and grabbed my wrist. “you okay there, hero?” she asked, teasingly. I growled, then smirked, “fine, now that you’re here.” She rolled her eyes, and pulled me into the attic.

 

There, Remus stood, gazing towards Hyrule castle. He turned around with a chuckle, “well done there young ones,” he became very serious, and the emotion caused Arryn to square her shoulders—a sign that she knew something serious was coming, and she was bracing herself.

 

“now then,” he sighed, “it’s time I showed you who I truly am.” He nodded, “I was king Rhoam Bosphoramos Hyrule. The last King of Hyrule before the calamity.” Arryn sucked in a breath, and my eyes widened. Before we could utter ‘that’s impossible’, a blinding light caused us to cover our eyes. When the light faded, Remus was dressed in royal garbs.

 

Not hesitating, he told us everything. From the Calamity’s destruction, to Zelda’s sacrifice and current situation. Arryn and I both knew what was coming. Rhoam—or, Remus—had died 100 years ago, this was simply his spirit. Which meant, now that his role was done, he would fade.

 

And when he did, he whispered: “you’ve grown so much, Arryn. I’m proud of your abilities.”

 

When the blue light faded completely, I glanced at Arryn. Her eyes were hidden by her bangs, and her shoulders were tense. “Arryn…I—” I began, but she cut me off with a hiss: “Don’t. Link. Just. Don’t,” she turned around, “let’s go. We should finish packing up today. We leave tomorrow morning.” I nodded, following her out.

 

As we walked in the noon sun, she probably thought thinking ahead would keep me from noticing her tears, but I knew they were there.

 

Rhoam and her were family, for what it was worth.

 

_**Arryn** _

Apparently I wasn’t the only one burdened by Rhoam’s reveal. That night, I woke up to the sound of whimpers and pleas from the hay-bed.

 

“Link?” I probed into the darkness, slowly slipping out of bed, “Link?” I tried again, and kneeled beside his makeshift bed. His reply was a strangled whimper. “Hey—Li—” before I could finish my sentence, he shot up. His heavy breathing filled the room, and I found myself staring at his sweat-lined features.

 

“Link?” I tried again, and he focused on me. the look of shocked fear was immediately replaced by relief, and he dropped into my embrace, with me meeting him half way. I sat on his bed and cradled him, “it—it’s all my fault…fault,” he whispered, “i…I let them…them die…” I shushed him carefully, “no, no no no. you did everything you could.” “I’m a failure!” he insisted. I frowned, then resumed shushing him into his hair, “shh…no, you’re not. You’re amazing. You protected Zelda to the end, and it took dozens of guardians to beat you, and even then, you came back!” I pushed him away to force him to look me in the eye, and spoke again: “you aren’t a failure. You’re a hero.”

 

Link sniffled, then dropped his head on my shoulder and whispered, “…okay.” I nodded, despite not believing everything was alright now, and slipped out of his grasp. He’d fallen asleep again immediately, allowing me to stare at his peaceful expression.

 

I silently hoped I could help him get over this, for I doubted this cured him of his guilt. 


	4. Journey's Begin

_**Arryn** _

True to my word, we headed out as soon as the sun was up. Aside from food, weapons, and my books, I saw Link stuff Rhoam’s diary into his back, then quickly snatch the leftover food from his house.

 

We decided to stand on the stone ruins separating the Plateau from the fields below, and float down from there. The plan was for Link to hold onto the paraglider, while I latched onto his back. As we rode the wind, he asked: “how long til’ we reach the first checkpoint?” I hummed, “first we’ll go to Riverland stable, 2 days from here…after that we’ll head to Kakariko which should be half a day by horseback.” Link hummed, glancing at the monster-ridden field below, “also,” I said, “there’s a tower near there—we can get a better idea of the region once we have that.” Link nodded, before landing us on a hill above some ruins.

 

Below us Bokoblins and Moblins roamed about, and weapons lie strewn about. “Alright,” Link sighed, “what’s quicker? Fighting or sneaking?” I hummed, “Sneaking, but we need to stock up on backup weaponry. You have a penchant for breaking weapons,” I teased, reminding him of the weapons I’d given him—which he broke. “Sorry,” he said, but I waved him off, “it’s fine. We just need to either steal some monster’s weapons or buy new from merchants.” Link smirked, “I bet the monster option’s cheaper,” “Leagues.”

 

So, Link and I charged the nearest Bokos, within minutes they became a part of history. Panting heavily, Link and I high fived, then went to collect whatever the Bokoblins dropped. We scavenged several shields, and a bunch of clubs, as well as a sword.

 

We continued further down the path, only stopping briefly for a quick lunch, or to forage for items left by the path’s side. We reached a bridge right as the sun began to set, nearby which stood a wooden roof, covering a fire place by which a traveler was seated. “let’s ask if we can spend the night at his camp,” Link suggested, and I nodded, despite being hesitant.

 

_**Link** _

 

So, in my kindest voice I asked. The person was very sweet, and welcomed us openly: “please! Make yourselves at home!” they said, gathering their things to minimalize the space they were taking up. I striked up a conversation, and the more it progressed, the more Arryn relaxed.

 

“so, what are you doing all the way out here?” I asked. They smiled, “I’m acting as a checkpoint of sorts for travelers. I’m also keeping an eye on the nearby guardians, in case they reactivate,” they gestured to the nearby mechanical monsters, “I once walked past one—it was stuck in the ground, thank Hylia, but it’s laser almost got me. no one else should have to go through that.” I nodded, remembering my dream.

 

There were guardians everywhere, everything was burning. Amidst it all, I was fighting them off and begging a girl to run. I couldn’t see her face, but when I glanced at her after killing a beast, there were 4 other bodies scattered around her. amidst them, she lay lifelessly, tears staining her cheeks and an arrow piercing her heart.

 

I woke up to Arryn sitting by my side that night, and boy was I thankful for it.

 

I nodded at the person sitting beside me, “yeah. I get that.”

 

That night, there were no nightmares. When I woke up in the morning, Arryn was updating her journal, and the person was standing on the bridge, looking over the field, scattered with guardian corpses.

 

I yawned, catching Arryn’s attention. She smirked at me, “good morning sleeping beauty,” she teased, handing me a plate with bread and eggs on it. “Ha-ha,” I laughed dryly, accepting the meal offered to me, “don’t tease.”

 

Arryn chuckled. I sat upright and dug in, glancing to watch her sketch every once and awhile. “why were you so wary about that traveler?” I asked, causing her to freeze. She looked me in the eye with a guarded look. I sighed, “you know, if you don’t tell me anything, I can’t really trust you.” Arryn sighed, “there’s this…organization.” I raised my brow, “o-kay…?” she rolled her eyes, slammed her book shut and pointed her chalk at me, “listen, okay?” “okay, okay!” I raised my hands in defence, “I’m listening.” Arryn nodded.

 

“there’s this organization called the Yiga Clan. Their entire focus is assassinating the royal family, and the chosen hero in order to resurrect Ganon. They target anyone who is on their side, and I also have a bone to pick with them.” I snorted, “what? Do they see you as a threat?” “Well, anyone would after someone bombed their secret base.” I blinked owlishly, scanning her lazy smirk for evidence of deceit.

 

I found none.

 

Then, I noticed something: “wait, won’t you be in danger by simply being associated with me? you know, a weak point or some such?” Arryn grinned, head resting in her palms, “are you calling me weak?” I gaped at her, then shook my head and groaned, “Arryn, you know I don’t.” She laughed, and I thought to have heard her mumble ‘if you only knew’, but I didn’t get the chance to ask about it, since she was urging me to hurry up and finish so we could keep moving.

 

Around evening we finally reached the riverside stable. Arryn approached, an air of regal politeness surrounding her, “hello Ember, how are you!” she greeted the clerk cheerfully. The clerk was a redhaired, freckled man in his late 40’s. When he spotted Arryn, his demeaner improved immensely. “Why! If it isn’t Miss Arryn! It’s been a minute, hasn’t it?” Arryn laughed good-naturedly, “sorry. Things got…hectic,” _that’s one way to put it,_ “but! I’m back! And I brought a friend!” “I can see that,” he laughed, “who’s this charming fellow, hm?”

 

I suddenly felt very warm under Ember’s intense gaze, and thank Hylia Arryn came to the rescue: “this is Link. He’s from out of town, and he lost his horse recently. Are there any wild horses around here?” I commended her ability to think up stories on the fly as Ember hummed, “all the horses near here ran away, so the next wild ones are beyond the peaks, sorry.” Arryn sighed, “well, what can you do. I’ll take out Apollo, then.” Ember nodded, “just a moment, please.”

 

As Ember rushed off to fetch Apollo, I glanced around the stable. From what I could tell, it functioned like an inn, with many beds lined inside, and outside a pan/pot above a crackling fire. That reminded me of our biggest hurdle: “Arryn, what will do about rupees?” I asked. Arryn hummed, taking Apollo by the reigns, “oh. I have a bit saved up, and I have a backup plan,” she winked, and I suddenly felt a certain sense of dread, “that can’t be good,” I teased, to which she rolled her eyes and moved to adjust the saddle, “should I be worried?” she shrugged, “only if you value seeing me in a non-sexual light.”

 

I flushed, but Arryn was already on the next subject, “there’s a shrine over there,” she said, pointing to a nearby shrine, “you go conquer it, and I’ll go stock up with the merchants here.” I blinked owlishly, then nodded. “Right. Then we go to the other stable, right?” Arryn nodded, “yes. There we’ll tame you a horse. There’s a shrine there too, so we can fast travel there in the future too.” “Handy,” she grinned, “isn’t it? Now shoo—I have stuff to do?”

 

I left laughing, something I found myself doing often when I was around her.

 

 

When we met up again after I’d completed the shrine and she’d traded some rupees for weapons and food, she was already ready to leave, and was lying on her horse’s back. “Jeez,” she sighed, sitting upright, “what took you so long, slow poke?” I rolled my eyes, grabbing the hand she held out to me, “it was a lot harder than you think, I’ll have you know,” I replied, swinging myself onto the steed’s back. 

 

_**Arryn** _

Link, as if it were instinctual, wrapped his arms around me to hold the reigns. I had half a mind to smack him away, before I noticed that if I did, he would have to hold onto my waist in order not to fall as we rode.

 

“Ah—” he sighed, probably realizing the boundary he was possibly crossing, “is this okay?” I nodded stiffly, “ye…yeah.” I couldn’t focus on the feeling of his chest against my back for long before he urged Apollo to move. I furrowed my brows with a smirk and leaned into him, “do you even know where to go?” Link flushed, and I giggled, placing my hands on the reigns, “didn’t think so~.”

 

I urged Apollo into a gallop, and by the time the sun set, we were in dueling peaks stable, and cooking our foraged goods from the last few hours. While I cooked, he asked: “how did you earn the rupees?” he was blushing, and I huffed a laugh, “I just danced, and sang. Just…a little suggestively, is all.” He nodded, focusing on the pan.

 

That night I was forced to explain the blood moon, burning holes into the earth we stood on, for Link had never seen it before then.


	5. Kakariko Village

_**Arryn** _

The day after the blood moon, we tamed Link a horse. He felt, in his words, ‘inexplicably drawn to the rusty colored mare’. “What will you name her?” the register-clerk asked. Link hummed, then, as if struck by lightning gave her the name: “Epona.” The clerk nodded, and went over to saddle the mare, and I couldn’t help but huff a laugh.

 

“What is it?” Link asked, sounding a little offended. I giggled, patting his shoulder, “nothing, nothing. You just looked so surprised just now.” Link hummed. “I was,” he admitted, causing my smile to falter, “i…don’t know why, but the name came to me just…like a memory, or something.” I hummed, watching as the mare’s reigns were handed over to Link.

 

I never told him that I suspected it to be a memory from one of his past lives.

 

 

 

Nevertheless, Kakariko was quite the trip away. At full speed we’d make it there by lunch, but since our horses needed breaks too, it would be more like a day trip. On top of that, we of course had to run into a Yiga clan member.

 

Link was kind, and curious. Much to my dismay, but the Yiga’s glee. He’d seen the lonely traveler standing by the bridge and immediately veered towards him. “Link,” I urged, “Kakariko’s this way.” Link hummed, “I know, I know. But, that person there seems lost. Maybe you can help.” Link obviously was aware that I knew most of Hyrule like my own hand, so it didn’t surprise me he thought I could help confused travelers. It still made me roll my eyes as I dismounted Apollo, as Link did Epona.

 

“Hey there, sir!” he greeted, to which the man perked up. “Hello, travelers! How lucky to have met other adventurers! Say, have you heard of the Yiga clan?” I immediately became on edge, but Link shot me a glance that seemed to urge me to stand down. Willing to humor the traveler, Link asked: “the yiga clan?” the Yiga smiled, nodding, “yes! The Yiga clan, devoted to Ganon, enemy of Hylia!” his face contorted into a cruel smirk and a defensive stance, “I will take your life!” before Link could even react, the traveler went up in smoke, replaced by the feature-hiding uniform of a Yiga.

 

Without thinking twice about it I whipped out my bow and knocked an arrow. The clan member stumbled into the wall, allowing me to sprint close and swipe my scimitar over his vital points, followed by a kick, sending him flying off the nearby cliff. I took a moment to catch my breath, staring down the cliff.

 

“Woah,” I heard Link breathe, breathlessly. I huffed, smirking, “what? You suddenly scared of me?” Link chuckled, “A little, maybe,” he said, walking over and slinging an arm around my shoulders, “HAHA! You’re a true force to be reckoned with, Arryn!” I felt my cheeks burn as we approached our horses again.

 

_**Link** _

The last part of the path was easy to traverse, especially since Arryn pulled me away from Hetsu. “We can talk to Hetsu later,” she said, then met my eye with a smirk, “you can see him, can’t you?” I nodded stiffly as we moved between the moutnains, “ yeah. That means some people can’t…?” she hummed, turning away from me, “yeah. He’s a korok, a forest spirit. Most people can’t see them.” I hummed, nodding.

 

The rest of the ride we spent in comfortable silence, which I appreciated. While I loved to listen and talk to Arryn, sometimes the silence was…nice. When we finally reach Kakariko Village, we slow our horses to a walk and dismount. By the town’s entrance, a middle aged sheikah woman sits on the ground, moaning in pain quietly. I turn to Arryn, preparing to tell her I’m going to help the woman, but Arryn’s already ahead of me, jogging to the frail lady.

 

“Miss, are you okay?” she asks, reaching out to help her stand. The woman chuckles, “oh, oh yes. I just twisted my ankle a bit,” but she still takes Arryn’s hand and lets her pull her up. “Hmm,” she hums, “it’s rare for travelers to pass through here.” Her gaze falls to the Sheikah slate at my hip, and she hums once more. “Say traveler, where did you get that tablet on your waist?” I follow her gaze, then huff, “well, you see…I kind of…found it? In a cave.” I hear my companion snort, but the Sheikah woman just smiles. “I see. You know, that is the symbol of the legendary hero. Though only a few still know of them.”

 

I silently wonder if Arryn does. Though, I can already guess the answer.

 

“But,” the woman continues, “we Sheikah have been waiting a long time for your return, master Link. Please, before all else…I must ask you to meet with our leader, Lady Impa.” I glance at Arryn, who nods in agreement, then face the older woman. “Understood. Where can we find her?” the woman smiles, pointing to the large house at the foot of the hill on which we stand, “right inside there.” Arryn and I nod, and I smile, “thank you very much.” She laughs, “don’t mention it. I wish you safe travels, hero.” I nod, then proceed towards the house with Arryn.

 

As we descend into the valley, curious eyes watch the Sheikah Slate on my hip, some elder Sheikah even go so far as to bow. Arryn snorts as I make a distressed sound. “Don’t laugh!” I protest, causing her to laugh, “sorry, hero, didn’t know you were so sensitive~.” I groan, to which Arryn chuckles. “Seriously, don’t worry about appearing professional or anything. Most people here weren’t alive before the Calamity—they have no idea what you did or didn’t do.” I hum, finally daring to ask: “how do you know so much about that time anyway? You a time traveler or something?” Arryn snorts, shrugging, “no. I’m a historian, however. I love learning about the hero of legends, and the Hyrule pre-Calamity. It also helps that this isn’t my first time in Kakariko, or talking to Impa.”

 

I hum. “You also traveled Hyrule, right?” Arryn hums in confirmation, ”yep. Been wandering since I was 13.” I nod, “how old are you now?” “I’m turning eighteen soon.” I nod, then joke: “Wish I knew when my birthday is.” Arryn rolls her eyes, then spins around to face me and walk backwards, “we can ask Impa how old you are,” she shrugs, “then just make your birthday the day you woke up in the shrine—your rebirthday!” I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up from my chest.

 

“Okay,” I sigh, breathless, “that sounds great.”

 

 

As we reach the foot of Impa’s home, two guards point their weapons at us. “Halt!” one demands, “who are you? How dare you trespass upon lady Impa’s abode!” Before Arryn can mutter a word, the other notices the tablet on my hip, “hold on…is that…? A sheikah slate?” the other’s eyes widen, “but that must mean you’re…no…it cannot be.” “Oh but it can,” Arryn sasses, finally getting a chance to, “Lady Impa told you the legends herself, did she not?” the guards shuffle, flustered, “Yes. Our apologies. Please, proceed.”

 

I lead the way, with Arryn behind me. the guards huff as she moves to follow me, “not you, miss,” one says. Before Arryn can get herself into Sheikah-Jail, I intervene: “she’s with me. she’s my companion. She’s…safe.” The guards huff, relenting, finally, and letting her pass. Arryn sticks her tongue out to them as she passes, causing me to roll my eyes. “you’re insufferable.” She clicks her tongue, “they deserved it.” I sigh as we reach the top of the staircase.

 

There, washing the wooden flooring, is a Sheikah girl, probably between 16 and 18, who flinches when she notices us. “A-ah! A man!” she cowers, hiding her face. It doesn’t last, though, for Arryn speaks sweetly, not a hint of sass or malice in her voice: “Hey, Paya.” ‘Paya’ removes her hands from her eyes and stutters, “M-Miss Arryn! You’re back! Y-You brought…a man?” then, Paya sees the tablet. “Wait! That—that’s! A…a sheikah slate! Are…are you the one grandmother speaks of? Lin…Lin…” she cowers again and huffs, “ugh! I know your name, I simply…simply am bad with speaking!” Arryn sighs, good naturedly, “it’s fine, Paya. Link, this is Paya. Paya, Link.”

 

We exchange meek waves, and Arryn lights up. “Grandmother has been awaiting you two after your letter arrived yesterday, Arryn. You should hurry.” Arryn nods, leading me inside. “You sent a letter?” I questioned, to which she simply said: “birdpost.” I ‘aah’ed, right as she swung the heavy doors open.

 

The room in which we stepped was warm, smelt like home, and felt like a friend. A memory. In front of us sat the old Impa, bathed in a soft glow.

 

When we stood in front of her, she smiled. “So you’re finally awake…it’s been quite a while, Lnik. I’m much older now,” she chuckles, “but you remember me, don’t you?” I bite my lip, stepping closer. Arryn stays by the door, leaving my side. (the air feels colder without her there.) “No,” I admit, “sorry.” Impa hums, “I see. You’ve lost your memory, hm. Well, it matters not. In fact, that may be a blessing for the time being. Link, Arryn, please, take a seat.”

 

We do as she says, and she sighs. “100 years ago…yes. All those years ago, Hyrule was destroyed.”

 

And then she tells us in more detail of the occurrences of that time.


	6. History

_**Link** _

 

Impa tells us what happened, of the Divine Beasts and our mission to reclaim them, and that before I can receive Zelda’s message I must regain my memories.  She sends us to Purah, a scientist who lives in Hateno Village, a two day trip by horseback.

 

As we stand to leave, I nod. “I won’t let you down,” I promise, and Impa chuckles. “I know. One more thing, however. When searching for your memories, take Arryn with you. Her memory magic will prove quite useful.” I blink. “what? Memory magic?” Arryn hums, “yeah. With my magic I can temporarily recreate what places looked like 100 years ago. I bet if I combine that with your, well, presence, we’ll be able to restore at least some memories.” I nod.

 

“Right,” Arryn says, decisive, “then…we’re off.” Impa nods, “be careful, children. Hyrule relies on you.” Arryn and I nod, then leave the house with a sense of finality. We pass Paya with a wave, and silently cross the guards. Arryn stops in the middle of the valley.

 

“It’s still fairly early,” she says, “but we’re low on food, clean clothes and weapons. We’ll stock up here and head out first thing tomorrow.” I nod in agreement, “so, where do we start?” I ask. Arryn hums, “you should go check the boutique—get some decent clothes and try talking to the townsfolk while I gather elixirs, food and rent rooms at the inn. We meet at the inn at dusk.” She hands me a bag of Rupees and I nod, “sounds like a plan.” Arryn smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes, “right. See you tonight.” “Mhm. Tonight.”

 

Arryn turns her back, making a beeline for the grocery store. When she’s almost out of view I whip out my sheikah slate and mark the boutique. That’s my first stop.  Outside the shop stands a girl shouting news of the boutique’s new collection. With a muted wave, I step inside. Inside there are three outfits on display: to the left, a Sheikah’s Stealth outfit. To the right are three single garments: a red hylian tunic, outfitted with belts and a chest plate; a grayish-blue hylian cloak; and beige pants. By checking the price tags I realize that Arryn had a lot saved up. With this I could buy the cloak, the stealth chestpiece and leggings, and the hylian tunic. Claree,the clerk, seemed a little shocked by this.

 

“Say, handsome man,” she sing-songed, “where are you headed that you’d need all this?” I smiled, “I’m a simple adventurer. My companion and I are setting out for Hateno Village tomorrow.” Claree whistles, “Hateno, huh? That’s quite the way away. Let’s hope they let you in, hmm?” I frowned, “what do you mean by that?” Claree hummed, “you’re not from around here huh? Hateno’s villagers are, overall, nice folks, but some guards are pretty close minded. Most of ‘em only let Hylians in.” Claree hummed, inspecting my face, “then again…you are Hylian, so you probably won’t face any trouble.”

 

I nod, absently worrying about Arryn.

 

“Anyway,” Claree whistles, catching my attention, “safe travels, pretty boy!” I smile, leaving the shop with my new clothes, “thanks! Have a good one!”

 

As soon as I return to the valley, I check my tablet for the inn. I better find it now before struggling to find it later. The inn isn’t hard to locate, and I’m relieved. I mark the place with a golden pin, then glance around. The inn is right near Impa’s, right next to a small statue of Hylia, by which a painter has marked his territory. Curious, I walk up and watch him work. He’s painting the lake in which the statue stands, adding nonexsistant fairies and a radiant glow from within the lake.

 

“you’re confused, because you don’t see what my painting shows,” he observes. And I flush, then nod. “My name’s Pikango,” he says, and I smile, “Link.” “Link, see, look ‘ere Link. Art is subjective, you see. What I find beautiful, you may find dull. And just like that, what one brings to paper doesn’t have to depict reality—it can reflect it.” Pikango laughs, “y’see, I’m a traveler. I travel Hyrule, looking for beautiful landscapes to paint. I heard there’s a fairy fountain nearby. Unfortunately I’m terrible with finding things. If you find it, do tell me what it was like!”

 

I hum, then agree.

 

Until my meeting with Arryn, I run around Kakariko Village, helping wherever I can.

 

_Arryn_

I’d never been one for getting attached to people. I knew that every beginning had an ending, and honestly I wasn’t down for more heartbreak. The only person I’d gotten close to since leaving the desert was Paya, and that was more for her sake than mine.

 

However, seeing Link carry cuckoos across the plaza almost changed my mind. Almost.

 

Link, however, was the hero of legend, and even if I’d successfully infiltrated his journey, his loyalty and friendship lied with Princess Zelda—and I did not. the fact that the chances of him dying/growing sick of me were high enough to make me keep him at arm’s length. There’s no way Zelda would find use for a fuck up like me.

 

Link dropped the cuckoo into the pen, then collected his reward before strutting over to the inn, in front of which I stood. When he finally spotted me, he lit up and jogged over. The sight of him so happy to see me let me hope, if only for a minute, that nothing was set in stone.

 

“Evening, ‘Ryn!” he greeted, making me huff and cross my arms, “what’s got you so happy?” I asked, causing him to shrug. “What? Can’t I just be happy to see my friend?” I hummed, not quite buying it. “what did you do all day?” I asked, entering the inn. Link shrugged, “oh, you know,” he nodded, “just helped out around town. What about you?”

 

“Well,” I sighed, steering him towards our rooms, “I already checked us in here, you can thank me later—” “—thank you.” I rolled my eyes, “—and I bought some elixirs for healing and stamina, got some food, bought a second paraglider.” “Aww,” Link drawled, “does this mean you won’t cling to my back anymore?” again, I rolled my eyes at his fake hurt tone, then patted his head, “you’ll survive.”

 

As we ascended the stairs I continued, “this is your room,” I told him, gesturing to a room to my right, “I’ll be staying right next to you.” At that, he seemed surprised. “we’re not sleeping in a room together?” he questioned. I huffed, “no, unless you want to share a bed with me.”

 

_**Link** _

Before I can even think it over, I hear myself say: “I wouldn’t mind it.” Looking back, I’m embarrassed, but at the time I had no idea why she was suddenly blushing so hard. “I…” she said, at a loss, “I...guess that’s…not a crime.” I bit my lip, “I…I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I just thought…” “No, no!” she cut me off, “I…I just wasn’t expecting it, is all.” I nodded, “okay.”

 

After a moment’s hesitation, we entered the room.


	7. Stormy Weather

_**Link** _

I never thought I was a light sleeper. Not until I woke up to the blood moon in the middle of the night, and wrecked sobs from behind me. when I turned around and propped myself up to see better, I was met with the usually brave, proud, strong Arryn curled into a fetal pose, sobbing and whimpering.

 

I spun around and tapped her shoulder, “Arryn,” I whispered. Nothing. “Arryn,” I tried again. “Arryn--!” I said, very urgently due to a heavy cough that rendered her gasping for air. This, however, also led to her sitting straight up, eyes blown open. “Arryn,” I tried again, and this time I was met with a whimper, and her pulling her knees to her chest.

 

I thought for a moment on how to ask her if she was okay, then tapped her shoulder. I had an idea, half formed, yet somehow familiar. As if I’d used this technique of communication before.

 

I spoke quietly, just above a whisper when I take her hands and she looks at me, “this,” I began to move her hand in a motion that I knew very well, “means yes, and this,” a different motion, “No. so. Can you talk?”

 

A little shaky, and choppy, uncharacteristically uncertain, she signs: ‘no.’ “will you be okay on your own?” ‘yes’ I frowned, “Are you lying?” I asked, and she sighed, ‘yes’. I nodded. “a nightmare?” ‘yes.’ “can I help?” she paused. She shrugged, so I took her hands again and spoke as I signed: “I don’t know.”

 

‘I don’t know’.

 

I nodded, then opened my arms. “If…you need a hug, i…I can offer.” Arryn laughed, watery while wiping away a tear, then nodded. She slowly crawled into my lap, but instead of lacing her arms around my neck, dug her nails into my tunic. I felt her breathe in deeply, and I sighed, letting my palms rake over her hair. Without her trademark half-bun and blue lips she looked…

 

Vulnerable.

 

Xxx

 

I didn’t mention the night’s events in the morning, and I’m certain Arryn is endlessly glad I didn’t.

 

As promised, we headed out to Hateno first thing the following morning. “If we keep a light trott,” Arryn was saying, “we should reach the checkpoint by evening.” I nodded, humming.  “Say, Link,” she hummed as we slowly left Kakariko, “did you ever speak with Hetsu?” I smiled, thrilled that she’d remembered, then nodded, “I did. His maracas had been stolen by some monsters. I took care of ‘em.” She smiled, “that was sweet of you.” I shrugged, unsure of that.

 

“Dunno,” I shrugged, “it just felt like the right thing to do.” Arryn huffed, “never said you had to justify yourself.” We rode a bit in silence, stopping every now and then to collect materials. Around noon, we took a break to eat lunch. Unlike our trip to Kakariko, we actually took the time to _cook_ something.

 

As I cooked the chicken Arryn had caught, the huntress was sitting across from me, knees pulled to her chest and eyes dully watching me work. She seemed lost in thought, so I didn’t want to disturb her.

 

Suddenly, she looked up and I heard her ask:

 

“Can you teach me sign language?”

 

I blinked into the pot, then whipped my head up to stare at her. “You…want me to teach you…sign language?” I echoed, uncertain as to _why_. Arryn nodded. “m…may I ask why?” I dared, careful to make my voice as unthreatening as possible.

 

The struggle was evident on her face as she took a deep breath, swallowed thickly, then admitted: “I want to be able to communicate even when I don’t…can’t…talk.” Her cheeks were darkened from her blushing, and it brought a smile to my face and a sigh escaped my lips. “Okay,” I agreed, causing her to brighten up, “I’ll teach you.”

 

Arryn grinned, a goofy, inelegant grin.

 

It was beautiful.

 

Xxx

 

That evening we did in fact reach Hateno Village, and we were in fact stopped at the gate. “Who are you!?” the guard had shouted, “be on your way, suspicious kids!” Arryn huffed, about to snark him, but I cut in: “We’re travelers. Nothing suspicious about that, is there?” the man hummed, “Hrm. Well, you certainly seem to be Hylian, like the rest of us…” he glanced at Arryn, pouting. Surprisingly, he ignored her not being Hylian and carried on: “Hylians are generally good folk, so…sorry for getting worked up. You’re free to go. We’re just a waypoint on a winding road, huh? Ah, the life of a traveler. Well, you can get supplies at the general store and stay at the inn, if need be. See you around, then.”

 

I nodded, tugging Arryn into the village. As we passed him, I caught the sneer he shot Arryn, who growled at him quietly. I rolled my eyes, “ignore him,” I told her, making a beeline for the nearby shrine. Arryn grunted, “it’s just so frustrating! Why are some people so—so—” “Ignorant?” “YES!” I sighed, and shrugged, “dunno. I don’t get it either, especially now that Hyrule’s Villages are so far apart. They should be supporting one another, now more than ever, right?” Arryn looked at me blankly, then smiled, “yeah. You learn quickly.” I huffed, “I’m not a complete retard, you know.” She shrugged, jogging ahead, “coulda’ fooled me, mr. Hero!”

 

I rolled my eyes, following her.

 

 

Xxx

_**Arryn** _

The night was spent at an inn, which meant we were able to eat breakfast someone made for us. Over breakfast I had Link guessing what kind of person Purah was, and confessed to having been here before. He’d been so surprised by that, it was funny.

 

And cute.

 

“Last time I was here I lit the oven outside for Purah,” I explained, “so unless they put it out this should go quickly.” Link hummed, “you in a rush?” I shrugged, “I just want to know what’s up with the slate, is all. It’s fascinating.” Link hummed, inspecting it closely, “I guess it is.”

 

We were now at the highest point of Hateno Village, allowing us to look over the entire town. Link was preoccupied, walking while staring at the tablet, so he didn’t realize I’d stopped to gaze over the town until he was several feet away.

 

“It’s beautiful,” I sighed, “isn’t it?” Link blinked as I locked eyes with him, then he nodded stiffly. “Yes,” he said, almost a gasp, “it is.” A gust of wind whirls our hair, and when it passes Link’s is obscuring his sight. I can’t fight the laugh that bubbles up from my lungs, and soon I’m laughing wholeheartedly as he attempts to right his hair.

 

“Ha. Ha. Ha. Laugh all you want, Arryn.” I giggled at his tone, “I will~!” Link rolled his eyes before turning back towards the tech lab. I calmed down and followed him uphill. As we stood in front of the lab I felt my heart sink. Last time I was here I’d left without a warning, or a trace.

 

I heard my heart pounding in my ears, felt the wind whip at my neck, and my fingers and toes tingled with anticipation. Link must’ve noticed my distress, judging by the warm palm he placed on my shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked. I took a deep breath. Nodding, I confirmed: “Yes. Let’s go.” But Link didn’t budge, “are you sure? You can wait out here if you need to.”

 

I huffed, smiling sadly, “you’re sweet, but no. I’m fine.” Link studied my expression for a moment before finally relenting. With a sigh his hand returned to his side, and he stepped closer to the door, causing it to slide open.

 

 

Purah and Symin looked up from what they were doing. A second passed, agonizingly slowly. Two seconds. Three. Four. Five—

 

“Where the hell have you been!?”

 

Purah’s voice, young as ever, squaked at me. I swallowed thickly, waving timidly. “H-hey. I’m…I’m back?” Purah clicked her tongue, “yeah, I can see that!” she stomped up to me and rolled her eyes, “took ya long enough, too! You shoulda’ told me you were leaving!” I shrugged, uncertain as to what to say.

 

Thankfully, Link stepped in: “you know each other?” I flinched, hesitating long enough for Purah to drawl: “oh yeah! She came here a few months ago! Then one day she just up n’ vanished!” I cringed, “sorry,” I apologized. Symin waved his hand in dismissal, “we aren’t mad, Arryn,” he assured me, “just worried.”

 

I nodded, opening my mouth to apologize, only for Purah to interrupt: “stop Apologizing already and tell me what brings you back here!”

 

So we did.

 

Xxx


	8. Moving Forward

_**Arryn** _

Thanks to Purah we were able to unlock more functions on the Sheikah Slate. With this new knowledge we returned to Impa via fast-travel. She told us to use these locations to uncover the lost memories. As we descended the home’s stairs, I sighed, “Link, I’m just warning you…we might not be able to recover all memories of your life before…this.”

 

Link nodded, “I know. It would’ve been too easy, anyway.” I chuckled, “right you are.” Link hummed as we emerged in the shrine near the dueling peaks stable, “so, what’s the plan?” he glanced at me, lips quirked in a half smile. I sighed, “I need to take a look at the photos and the map. Maybe I can pin point some memories…based on that we’ll decide which beast to free first.” Link nodded, promptly handing me the slate. “should we rent beds for the night or camp out?”

 

My mind buzzed with excitement as soon as my fingers wrapped around the tablet, and I hummed, “camp out. We need to save rupees for warm clothes for when we head north-west.” Link nodded, making a beeline for the wild horses’ field. “if we camp too close to the stables they’ll probably charge us,” he explained himself as I fastened the slate to my belt. “you’re right,” I agreed, “but we can’t stay too far into the center, we’ll be sitting ducks for monsters.” Link nodded, steering us to a hollowed out hill and fled into the hollow. Link began to set up our camp as I spread out my bedroll and plopped down on it.

 

Immediately I started flipping through the photos. Some I recognized immediately: the scenery of the castle was familiar, though less so than the view of Karakara Bazaar. i was able to roughly estimate where each memory was, some more vaguely than others. I pinned each area on the map. A few moments later I had a good grasp on where the beasts and memories were.

 

I mapped out a rough path we’d travel, right as Link returned with food and wood. Strange, I didn’t notice he’d left.

 

“I have our plan of action,” I told him as he dropped the wood between us. “Oh?” he hummed, stuffing the food away, “do tell.” I hummed, “first we’ll go to the wetland stable. There’s a forest nearby where I think we’ll find a memory. Then we’ll head back to Impa, like she asked us to.” Link nodded, shuffling over to glance at the notes I’d made in my journal.

 

He hummed, “looks good. It’ll be slow travels, huh.” I hummed, “yeah.” Link must’ve noticed my unease, “are you okay?” I hummed in response, “I guess. Just…a little hungry.” Link frowned, obviously not believing me. he sighed, and stood up. He shuffled to start the fire and spoke softly: “we’re friends, you know. If you want to talk about…anything…I’m here.”

 

I smiled, “thank you, Link.” And I didn’t intend to tell him anything, but as we urged Apollo and Epona to run across the grassy plains his hair whipped behind him and I saw his look of glee, and I felt the need to share.

 

If I had the mental capacity to was another question entirely.

 

The sun had already set by the time we’d made it to the wetland stable, but Link and I weren’t going to get any sleep if we’d gone to bed then. So, we continued toward the forest. It was still quite a way away from the stable, but nothing we couldn’t handle.

 

Once we stood at the forest’s path, it wasn’t hard to recognize the memory’s location. Link saw it too, as was evident in the way his jaw clenched and shoulders tensed. “Link?” I probed, laying my palm on his shoulder. He flinched, and murmured: “I’ve…I’ve been here before.”

 

I frowned, nodded, then walked to the spot where the photo had probably been taken. Link followed me, gaze sweeping the area. I turned to face him directly, and held his hands. “Close your eyes,” I told him, “and focus.”

 

_**Link** _

As soon as I’d closed my eyes I felt warmth. Warmth pooling from Arryn, into me. suddenly my eyes were open, and I was standing in the same forest, but this time there were two other people there as well.

 

In one, I recognized myself, albeit with shorter, more manageable hair. The other had to be Princess Zelda. How I knew? I just did. The two of us had been running, when she suddenly slipped out of my grasp. I stopped, and turned around. I walked towards her upon realizing she had no intentions of getting up, and sheathed the elegant sword I was holding. I knelt down to her level and she spoke:

 

“The divine beasts…the guardians…he turned them all against us…it was…calamity ganon…and everyone—Mipha, Revali, Urbosa…Daruk…they’re all trapped inside those things… This is all my fault… our chance at defeating ganon is gone all because I can’t control this cursed power! Everything…everything I’ve done up until now…it was all for nothing! So I really am just a failure! All my friends…the kingdom…and my father…I tried…and I failed them all…I’ve left them all to die.”

 

My heart clenched as I watched her collapse in tears. My throat felt thick and I couldn’t breathe properly. Despite not remembering her, it looked, and felt, so wrong to see her cry. The scene faded as I blinked, and I turned a desperate, disoriented look to Arryn. She looked shocked, and met me with a gaze full of pain, and sorrow.

 

She mirrored the Princess’ words perfectly.

 

“Link…” she breathed, to which I just nodded. “I know,” was all I said. Arryn took a deep breath, then sighed. “let’s fast travel back to Kakariko,” she said, “we’ll spend the night at the inn, and see Impa first thing tomorrow morning.” I nodded, immediately taking her hand and quickly getting the tablet from my hip.

 

We emerged on the hill gazing over the village, and Arryn sighed, quickly stepping off the shrine’s platform. She hastily descended the hill, making a beeline for the inn. I struggled to keep up with her pace, but I didn’t try to slow her down.

 

We both needed the space, and silence.

 

That night we slept in different rooms.

 

Xxx

 

The next morning we emerged from Impa’s feeling slightly better than the evening before. Arryn had waited outside as I changed into the blue tunic within the inn. When I stepped outside I was met with a lack of her being there. After glancing around briefly, I spotted her by the lake, chatting with Pikango. I huffed, strolling up to her.

 

As I did, she turned her head to look at me. when she caught sight of me, her eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up. “What?” I laughed, “am I that handsome?” seeming to remember herself, she furrowed her brows, whipped her head away and crossed her arms, “don’t get cocky,” she warned, “you don’t look like a disaster anymore, but that doesn’t mean you look good.”

 

I laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a half hug. She seemed to get where I was going, and slipped the Sheikah Slate off my belt and selected the dueling peaks tower. I heard a few gasps as we dissolved into blue liquid.

 

We landed safely on the platform and glanced around. Arryn frowned at the slate, causing me to worry. “what is it?” I asked. She sighed, “there aren’t any stables between the memory and our current location. By foot we’ll need about two days to get there.” I hummed, shrugging. “small price to pay, I think. We can hunt for food and stuff on our way, can’t we?” Arryn shrugged, “yeah,” she slipped the tablet back into it’s place on my belt, “let’s just hope this memory’s not quite as sad as the last one.”

 

I nodded, leading the way by jumping off the tower’s edge.

 

Xxx

_**Arryn** _

That night’s ‘rest’ wasn’t as refreshing as I’d hoped. Aside from my inability to fall asleep, Link was plagued by nightmares.

 

When the moon was high in the sky, the sun had set long ago, and I was sitting a few feet away from Link, staring at the stars, when he started to whimper. I blinked, at first having thought it was a wolf, before it got louder and I turned towards him. I slowly crawled towards him, and the closer I got the more I heard:

 

Whimpering, gasps for air, grunts and growls.

 

Distressed, and super tired, I reached for his arm, ready to shake him awake, when he bolted upright, eyes wide and face beaded with sweat. Out of reflex, I flinched back. With each heavy breath he took, my posture relaxed. I tilted my head to the side, “Link?” I probed. He stared at me, eyes wide, glassy, and confused.

 

The sight of this courageous, excited, charming young man reduced to near tears caused my rational thinking to short circuit, and I flung myself at him, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him into a hug.

 

Link’s hands gripped the back of my shirt, and his nails dug into the fabric as his body shook with sobs and coughs. After a few minutes, he began to scream, the agonizing sound making my chest tighten and my throat clog.

 

After what seemed like hours, he fell silent and slumped against me. I let my fingers draw designs on his back and arm, softly shushing him. After a few more minutes he took a deep breath and said:

 

“I can’t remember what I dreamt…but…it hurt.”

 

I bit my lip, pulling him closer. “It’s okay,” I told him, “it’s going to be okay.” Link shook his head free and looked at me, pure hopelessness in his eyes, and he asked: “will it?”

 

I froze. I didn’t want to lie, but I wasn’t sure the truth was what he needed right now. The truth was that I wasn’t sure. I opened my mouth, closed it again, then sighed.

 

“I…think so. That’s what all the adults tell us, isn’t it?” I said, then. Link shrugged, dropping his head onto my shoulder, “I wouldn’t know,” he sighed, “I don’t remember anything.”

 

I clenched my jaw and wrapped my arms around him, pulled him to the ground, and wrapped my legs around his waist. “I’m sorry,” I said, desperate. I felt him shift us so we were lying on our sides, and I felt him hum. “I am too,” he said, pulling me closer.

 

I finally fell asleep to the sound of his even heartbeat.

 

xxx

 

Link, as per usual recently, was up before me and making breakfast. Unlike him, I wasn’t willing to let this go easily. “Link,” I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, “about last night—” Link’s expression morphed from a pleasant smile to a frown, “—I…can’t restore all your memories. I can only help you remember the most prominent ones. But…I…we can make new memories,” I walked up to him, knelt before him and took his hands, “we…we can support each other. Together we can brave the storm.”

 

Link studied my face, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, and he smiled. The smile wasn’t the widest, nor the brightest, but it was infectious. I smiled back.

 

“okay,” Link sighed, “thanks.”

 

xxx


	9. Lakeside Memories

_**Link** _

All my worries vanished when I caught sight of the lake. There was no mistaking it—this was the lake where the photo was taken. It was easy to tell, thanks to the ledge sticking out of the ground. Arryn grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards the ledge, causing me to stumble over my feet in surprise.

 

A few feet away  from it she let her bag drop to the grass with a thump, and increased in speed. I laughed, despite everything, at the childlike wonder she held over this place. But then again, I couldn’t blame her—it was beautiful here.

 

She suddenly stopped and turned around to face me and took my other hand in hers. We shared a look, then nodded. Her smile dropped, and she took a deep breath. Before long, we were once again staring at a short-haired me, and Princess Zelda.

 

“From here, we’ll head to Goron City.” Zelda spoke decisively, moving with purpose, “there we’ll make some adjustments to the divine beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible. He’s figured out how to get it to move, however it is apparent that there is much more to learn.” Zelda smiled, “but to think, that divine beast was actually built by people…that means we should be able to figure out how it works and how to use it to our advantage. These divine beasts…there’s so much we still don’t know. If we wish to turn back calamity ganon, however, they are our best hope.”

 

Zelda slowed to a halt, and I looked up in alarm, “tell me the truth,” she ordered, “how proficient are you right now, in wielding that sword on your back?” I blinked, not saying a word. “Legend says,” Zelda continued, “that an ancient voice resides within it. Tell me, can you hear it yet, hero?”

 

With a blink, I’m back in the present, feeling the cool air of Hyrule on my face. Arryn’s eyes opened a few seconds after mine, and her eyes were alight with curiosity and confusion. She looked at me, “why didn’t you answer her?” she asked. My shoulder sagged, “I…don’t know,” I shrugged, “sorry.” Arryn scowled, dropping my hands. “Whatever,” she hissed, “we should set up camp and go hunting for ingredients for food and elixirs.”

 

I frowned, but nodded. “okay. Let’s do that, then.”

 

Xxx

 

Arryn was bouncing around, cheerful as ever, soon after we started our hunt for monsters. She was zipping around a lizalfos, keeping up with it’s speed considerably well as I struggled with two blue bokoblins.

 

Sometimes she would cackle upon landing a spectacularly good hit, or she’d yell in her rage of being unable to scratch her opponent. If I wasn’t so preoccupied I would’ve watched closer—it was mesmerizing.

 

But not mesmerizing enough to risk my life.  

 

Xxx

 

As I watched her pour and mix ingredients for her elixirs, I noticed something. Despite removing her gloves completely, she had stubbornly kept the blue piece of fabric on her. Even though she’d moved it’s location on her wrist to tie her hair back, it’s obvious she didn’t trust me (or herself) enough to remove it.

 

It must be something important to her, I thought.

 

“Arryn, where’d you get that?” I asked. She turned around, confused, and I pointed to my own hair tie. Her hand slowly rose to touch the blue cloth and realization dawned on her face. “From…a friend. Why do you ask?” I shrugged, “I was curious. It seems important to you, is all.”

 

Arryn turned away, focusing on the elixir instead. With her back facing me, she sighed: “my best friend gave it to me.” immediately my mind jumped to Paya, “Paya?” Arryn took a deep breath, “no,” she shook her head. She sat down on her heels and let her hands drop to her lap and she began to play with her spoon, “my friend from Gerudo Town. Riku.” I wasn’t sure she was done or not, so I waited a moment. She took aanother deep breath, “she was Chief Ophelia’s eldest daughter. She was my best friend.”

 

‘Was’

 

“What happened to her?” I dared to ask. Surprisingly, she awnsered: “she was sent on a hunt with the head guard of the time. They were supposed to be back by nightfall.” She took another deep breath, this time a very shaky one, “she never made it back.”

 

I looked at the grass, “I’m sorry.” Arryn shook her head, the rustling sound it caused made me look up, “it’s fine. It’s been a long time.” I shook my head and stood, “No, I mean for asking. It was probably not my place.” Arryn glared at me, disbelieving, “nonsense,” she said, “you’re my friend. If anything I’m in the wrong for keeping so many secrets.”

 

I hummed. She was right, she was keeping a lot of secrets. I wanted to be there for her, but that was hard to do when she never told me the full story.

 

“It’s whatever,” I said finally, as she began pouring the elixir into bottles, “I mean, you have your reasons, I guess.” Arryn sighed, “yeah, but they’re stupid, and selfish.” I shrugged, “probably not stupid, you’re too smart for that,” she snorted, “but…you’re allowed to act selfishly, Arryn.” Arryn hummed, not seeming to believe me.

 

“Okay,” she said, nonetheless, “thanks, Link.” I watched her smile, bitter, a little fake, but after a moment I sighed, walking towards her, “anytime, ‘Ryn.”

 

Xxx

_**Arryn** _

For a week after that day we traveled to the Outskirt Stable. The travel was slow, due to the fact that Link wanted to ‘conquer’ the coliseum, which in itself took 3 days. With a Lynel patrolling the first floor, it was difficult not to be noticed by the stalfos’ patrolling the upper floors while fighting. After taking several heavy blows, we retreated to our camp near lake kolomo. We attempted our conquer 3 times before finally being able to loot the ruins. When we finally continued towards the Outskirt Stable, I voiced my annoyance with the delay.

 

“You know, we could already be on our way to Rito Village, but _nooooo_! You **had** to ‘conquer’ the coliseum!” Link clicked his tongue, “oh give me a break! You loved fighting that Lynel, admit it!” he bugged, which I had scowled at. He was right. I love a good challenge. For him to know that already just proved his ace observation skills.

 

“Whatever,” I sighed, heaving my bag higher, “let’s just pick up the pace now, hero.” Link hummed, quickly catching up to me. “Whatever you say, lioness.” I rolled my eyes, playfully shoving my elbow into his chest.

 

It seemed that our meeting was fate.

 

But I chose to become his friend.

 

Falling in love with him however? That, I would come to realize, I had no control over.


	10. Outskirts

_**Arryn** _

We reached Outskirt Stable without many interferences. Once we walked onto the fenced in area, I suggested we stay here for a while to stock up and help out. Not to my surprise, Link agreed. Since we arrived fairly late in the afternoon and the sun was already setting, we decided to cook up some of the food we’d been gathering.

 

While we could cook on the go, we found that we rarely took the time to as we never liked camping in the same spot for long, out of fear that someone could track us. So, we usually only cooked big meals for the road when we were staying at a stable.

 

That led to us leaning over the pot, sprinkling seasoning onto steak. Well, more like Link was sprinkling seasoning onto steak while I focused on the Sheikah Slate’s map. Because we hadn’t yet unlocked the entire view of Hyrule, I had used my own map to synch up the pins. However, they weren’t 100% accurate, and things would be much easier once we unlocked more towers. So far our map only reached from Hateno to the Plateau, and we would be traveling pretty blindly if not for my map.

 

Unfortunately, we had no good grasp on where shrines were. Thanks to the tablet’s shrine sensor we were able to hone in on a few, but it was difficult to place where they were. I scowled at the map in my lap, then at the marked place on the slate.

 

“What is it?” Link asked. I groaned, “the next memory is at park sanidin. That’s at least a day from here, and if we’re moving at this pace, two.” Link shrugged, “that’s fine, isn’t it? We only take so long in traveling cause’ we’re always foraging, fighting monsters and doing shrines.” I sighed, leaning against the crate behind me, “I know…I’m just really curious about…” the proper words seemed to evade me, which Link noted with a huff, “…me?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

Link chuckled, “we’ll get there,” he assured me, “that’s the important part, right?” I shrugged, “sure.” He laughed, “you’re just impatient.” I spluttered, “ugh!! That’s not true! I’m very patient! We have a job to do and we should be doing it but! But! We’re just biding time!” I stood up abruptly as he turned to glance at me, “ugh, I’m sick of waiting around. I’m going for a walk.”

 

Xxx

A short walk away from the stable I found a shrine. However, it wasn’t the only thing I found. By the shrine stood a slim framed person, shrouded in a black cloak, with the Sheikah symbol sewn into the back. Before I could even call out to them as I slid down the hill, they spun around on their heel. Their features were indescribable, even though I could clearly see them.

 

“um, hello,” I said, uncertainly and wary, hand resting on the handle of my scimitar. “Hello.” Their voice was monotone, yet full of ups and downs. It was…bizarre. “A traveler,” they assessed, “may I ask where you travel to, strange gerudo? Perhaps to seduce a helpless victim?” I laughed, bitterly, “definitely not.” I hesitated, but, despite my better judgement, I confessed: “Rito Village, you?”

 

The Sheikah laughed, “oh, I’m simply wandering Hyrule. But Rito Village, eh? That’s quite a ways away. I suggest you rent a horse. The next stable isn’t reachable for another 2 weeks.” I blinked in surprise. “oh…thank you for the tip…er…” “Manic,” they offered, “people call me Manic.” I smiled, humming, “well, thank you for your advice—” I closed my eyes and bowed my head lightly, but when I looked up again…

They were gone.

Xxx

 

_**Link** _

Arryn was impatient. It was no secret to me, at this point. The longer I spent with her the more she revealed her fire-like nature. With a sigh, I returned to my pot of steak as she stomped off. I was so preoccupied with wondering why she was so impatient about this all, I never noticed someone approaching until he spoke:

 

“Your friend’s quite the fiery personality, isn’t she?”

 

I looked up and was faced with the stable employee. I gave them a smile, “yeah, she’s a handful.” The person laughed, gesturing to the ground in between them and the pot, “may I sit?” I shrugged, “knock yourself out.” They sat down, taking in the smell of meat cooking. “That smells delicious,” they sighed, “ya know, I’d kill for some good steak right now. Unfortunately for me, most stable meals are vegetarian…”

 

I hummed, “would you like to eat with us?” I asked. They lit up, “could I really?! I wouldn’t be imposing?” I smiled, “not at all, Arryn won’t mind. She’ll love to see me making friends aside from her.” they laughed, “well, in that case! I’m Trott, nice to meet you.” I nodded, shaking his hand, “Link. Pleasure’s all mine.”

 

 

Xxx

Arryn returned not long after. By the time she did, Trott and I had already begun to eat. “What?” she joked, “did I take too long or did you not remember I was gone?” I clicked my tongue, “please, red, you’re too memorable to forget.”

 

Looking back, it probably wasn’t the fire’s heat that made her blush.

 

Over dinner she told me of the shrine she found and the mysterious Sheikah she encountered. “Hmm,” I hummed, tapping my chin, “that is weird…did they say anything about the shrine?” Arryn shook her head, “no, but we can check it out tomorrow. Sound good?” I smiled, nodding, “sounds like a plan.”

 

Arryn smiled, and it felt like the sun had risen already.

 

Xxx

The following day we took care of the shrine, which took up all morning. We barely made it back in time for lunch. “Jeez, that one was tricky,” Arryn yawned, stretching. I laughed, “only cause you’re not to used to thinking creatively.” Arryn pouted, “that’s not true! I’m always coming up with creative ways to kill monsters!”

 

I laughed, and soon she was too.

 

We spent the rest of the day helping out in the stables and listening to the people’s stories. Toffa’s tale of the Royal Stallion visibly intrigued Arryn, but Aliza’s story of _me_ caused her to mock the poor girl.

 

“She doesn’t even know any concrete legends!” she complained as we settled into bed, “just impressions, and ideal. Nothing…real.” I hummed, “why’s it bother you so much? She’s probably just about 16 or so. Let the girl dream.” Arryn huffed, “that meaning you won’t prove you’re the legendary hero once you get the master sword?” I shrugged, “If I get it.”

 

Arryn sat bolt upright, face laced with confusion, “what do you mean _if_?” I hummed, “I just…if I was the sword…I wouldn’t want me to wield me. I’d probably think of myself as a failure…” Arryn growled, and suddenly she yanked me into a sitting position, “listen here, Link. You’re not a failure. You did whatever you goddamn could, until the very end. That’s noble as shit, and now you’re doing it again even when you could just let someone else do it.”

 

She sighed. “look. My plan was to go face Ganon after spending some time training on the Plateau. If you’d just decided not to face Ganon, I’d still go. But you decided to go. Despite it all. You got this. You’ve learned, even if you don’t remember.” Arryn hummed, “I’ve been thinking. Judging by the state of your Sheikah Slate, it’s safe to assume you never unlocked it’s potential 100 years ago. Which means we’re already on the right track. Not to mention all the unsolved Shrines.”

 

Realization dawned on me. “I wasn’t strong enough,” I sighed, “i…probably relied on the sword to carry out the duty…and not me.” Arryn nodded, “probably. But…a sword is nothing if it’s wielder is powerless—even if that sword is the sword of the goddess.” I laughed, and I must’ve sounded insane, judging by her bewildered expression.

 

“Yeah,” I sighed, wiping the tears of mirth from my eyes, “thanks, Arryn.” Arryn frowned, then smiled. She ran a hand through my hair, messing it up, “you’re welcome, blade for brains.”

 

Xxx

We left first thing in the morning. This time we breezed over the fields, due to a lack of monsters, shrines and towers. However, when we reached the park, the shrine sensor made a quiet, barely noticeable sound.

 

“There’s a shrine nearby,” I noted. she nodded. “Yeah. It’s late already though. Let’s get the memory and set up camp.” I nodded, and we dismounted our horses, walking the rest of the way to the ruins of park Sanidin. “so, what’s this place anyway?” I asked. Arryn hummed, “according to the Zora and Impa, this was a horse park for travelers to rest. It offered a spectacular view of all of Hyrule’s major landmarks. Hyrule Castle, Death Mountain, the likes.”

 

The closer we got to the park’s peak, the more elated Arryn became, and the area buzzed with magic. Her magic. It was warm, but not hot, it never threatened to suffocate me, if anything it seemed to instill an identifiable calm within me. I felt safe as she took my hands and warmth pooled into my palms.

 

And suddenly we were watching Zelda and me again. We were riding our respective horses towards the park, Zelda on a stunning white stallion, whereas I was on a brown mare.

 

“’Be sure to take the time to soothe your mount…that’s the only way it’ll know how you truly feel…’” she leant back on her mount to look at me, “your advice was quite helpful, thank you. This little one and I are getting along quite well now. At first, I wasn’t sure if I should outfit him with all the royal gear. I thought  maybe he should have to earn it first. But it works. He wears it like a true natural.” She smiled, “I’m trying to be a bit more empathetic. Benefit of the doubt, you know?”

 

Once at the park’s peak, we gazed at the horizon. “See that mountain?” Zelda asked, “that’s mt. Lanayru. It takes it’s name from the goddess of wisdom. Lanayru’s decree is very specific. It says ‘no one is allowed, under the age of 17…for only the wise are permitted upon the mountain.’” Arryn huffed, interrupting the memory and folding her arms, “well, what if I’m 16 and wise beyond my years?” but, before I could retort, Zelda continued, “I’ve prayed at the spring of courage, and the spring of power, yet neither awoke anything inside me. but…maybe up there…in the spring of wisdom, the final of the three, will be the one.” Zelda’s hands rose to her chest, “to be honest, I have no reason to think that will be the case, but there’s always the chance that the next moment will change everything.” She paused. “Tomorrow is my 17th birthday…so then I shall go,” she turned to face me as she spoke, “and make my way up the mountain.”

 

The memory faded with the blinking of my eyes, and I took a moment to make sure my breathing wasn’t erratic. Then, I turned to Arryn, only to find her glaring at mt. Lanayru, lost in thought. “Arryn…?” I tried, and she scowled, shaking her head. “It’s nothing,” she told me, “let’s get our camp set up.”

 

I wanted to ask what was wrong, but found myself unable to until we finally had dinner. We were sitting on the park’s peak again, eating warmed up soup.

 

“What’s wrong?” I asked, nudging her with my elbow. Arryn hummed, “nothing.” “Well, it’s obviously something.” “It’s nothing.” “Arryn,” I must’ve sounded scarily serious, cause when she turned to me, her eyes were wide.

 

They almost seemed…fearful.

 

“I know you,” I said, “you’re clearly bothered.” Arryn bit her lip and her shoulders tensed. After a minute or two, she let her shoulders sag with a sigh. “It’s just,” she began, visibly bothered, “it’s Zelda. She…she couldn’t unlock her powers—Hylia’s powers—even though she was working so hard,” Arryn whipped to face me, and leaned closer, “in comparison, you had it way easier! Just pull a sword from it’s pedastol, no big deal! But…Zelda prayed, yet had nothing to show for it all. That’s…”

 

Arryn hesitated, then locked eyes with me with the most watery look I’d ever seen.

 

“Unfair.”

 

 

I hummed. “Hylia didn’t reach out to her,” Arryn continued, “so, you gotta wonder…is she some kind of heartless monster…or…” I furrowed my brows, “or?” I echoed. Arryn fixed me with a lightless gaze, “even still there at all?”

 

She was implying the goddesses were dead, and as I mulled it over…

 

It made sense.


	11. A (Welcome?) Distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a short chapter to get us into more lore-heavy territory regarding Arryn. <3

_**Arryn** _

We went to the Shrine first thing that morning. It was a tricky one, thus took us most of the morning. However, we were already delayed for longer than we’d planned, so we took off towards Tabantha Stable anyway. There was another shrine near jeddo bridge, which we had to unlock by shooting an arrow through two rings.

 

After I tried to do this many times, with Link laughing beside me, he finally took charge. He used up a single arrow, which made my fruitless attempts seem like an amateur’s. we set up camp inside the shrine after completing it. As night fell outside, we sat by the entrance, wrapped in blankets and eating dumplings as monsters roamed the outside world.

 

when we continued onward the next day, I felt reminded of a ballad I’d heard. Without thinking much about it, I’d begun to sing it. When Link asked where I’d heard it, I told him of Kass. “Kass always said his songs held truth to them,” I said, “maybe this one’s got truth to it too,” I motioned to the beeping slate on his hip. Link took the slate, and we began searching for the shrine.

 

We found the platform which would hopefully unlock the shrine, but it was the middle of the day. “So, what?” I huffed, arms crossed, “we gonna stay here, waiting for another blood moon?” Link hummed, surveying the area. He seemed distracted. “Link?” “uhm,” he hummed, “I think we should head to Tabantha Stable. We’ll unlock a shrine closer to it and come back here in 3 days.” I frowned, “why then?” Link paused, seeming to be unsure himself. “I…have a feeling.”

 

I huffed, “A feeling, huh?” I mocked, despite trusting his judgment, “what? Did the grass tell you?” Link rolled his eyes and playfully shoved me, “oh, fuck off.” I cackled, and we continued towards Tabantha Stable. As the air became chilly, I remembered the trip the Gerudo Chieftain Family and I took once to the Gerudo Highlands. I glance around the mountainous biome with a smile.

 

“What you smiling about?”

 

Link question caught me off-guard, causing me to flinch. I chuckled, uncertainly, “ah, nothing. This just reminds me of the training trip I was on as a kid.” Link hummed, then hopefully inquired: “tell me about it?”

 

I froze. I was torn—tell him of one of the happiest moments of my life, or continue the secrecy. My heart pounded as he dismounted his steed to collect some herbs growing on the side of the road.

 

“I was 12,” I began, despite my mind screaming at me not to open up. But my mind didn’t stand a chance against the way my heartrate picked up when he faced me again. “when the chieftains took me, their advisors/bodyguards, and their daughters to the Gerudo Highlands, for extended training.”

 

I took a deep breath.

 

“we’d always stay up late and look at the stars. We always looked for constellations and shooting stars, and we imagined what it’d be like if our world wasn’t the only one out there,” I laughed, breathlessly, “it’s silly, I know.”

 

“I don’t think it’s silly at all.”

 

Link had his eyes fixed on me when I looked up at him. My breath catches in my throat, and I’m unable to look away from him for several moments. When I finally did, I spoke again, “we stayed there for a week. When we got back to Gerudo Town, we changed. But, the rest of the city was…the same.” Link hummed.

 

“were you surprised?”

 

I hummed, “not really,” I admitted, “but disappointed, nonetheless.” Link huffed a laugh, “as anyone would have been, I’m sure.” I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, and I thought how weird it was how sometimes we were crackin’ jokes and sassing each other, and others we were a shoulder to cry on.

 

It was so very strange.

 

But not unwelcomed.

 

Xxx

 

A Lynel.

 

A blue Lynel blocked our path.

 

I never expected it, and I’d always blame it on that fact that it got the better of me. I was struck in the back with the back of the Lynel’s (unnecessary) shield and went flying across the field.

 

We’d fought Lynel’s before, _hell_ , we willingly attacked a few, but—I was cocky. After years of careful analyzing of my enemies, I allowed myself to be _cocky_. And it was all _his_ fault.

 

That _damn_ Hylian.

 

_**Link** _

Arryn flew across the field, and my heart dropped. Not thinking much about it, I mounted the Lynel, landing a desperate final blow in its neck, causing it to go up in smoke shortly after.

 

I sprinted to where Arryn lay, whistling for Epona. The mare had run off when the Lynel appeared but came running back by the time I’d scooped Arryn up in my arms. The Gerudo was breathing heavy and hissed as I pressed my hand to the wound on her back.

 

“shh,” I soothed, not sure if I was soothing her or myself, “you’re going to be fine, we’re almost at the stable, you’re going to be  fine.” I hoisted us onto the mare’s back and urged her towards Tabantha Stable as fast as I dared without fear of hurting Arryn.

 

Within a few minutes we’d (finally) reached the stable, where a few people had crowded around Arryn’s horse, Apollo, who seemed to have fled here. A Hylian in dark colors and a buzzcut noticed us first and rushed over, “travelers! What happened? Are you alright?” they asked, clearly worried. I swallow down the fear and recounted the incident with the Lynel.

 

“There was a Lynel outside the stables…we took care of it but Arryn took a heavy hit,” I said. The person nodded, “over here, I have something that can help.” I nodded, following them into their tent. The space was filled with elixirs, a brewing stand, books, and a bedroll over layers of pillows.

 

“Lay her on the bedroll,” they ordered, “not on the wound.” I complied, lying Arryn on her stomach. The Hylian rushed over, carrying various potions. With languid motions, they exposed Arryn’s wound and began to path it up.

 

“She’s not in any danger now,” they said, wrapping the wound in a white bandage, “but she’s out of energy. She’ll need a few days to recover.” I nodded, gaze drifting over her exposed back. Despite the potions, blood still stained the fresh bandage, and she looked like she was in pain.

 

Then, I noticed something. Above her wound, between her shoulder blades—a tattoo. It was of a crescent moon within a circle. In the space of the moon was a wolf. The longer I stared at it the stranger it became.

 

Then, I realized something horrific: it was a tattoo at all.

 

It was burnt into her skin.


End file.
